Abstract
This interactive workshop explores how communication and language shape belonging within and across communities. Drawing on perspectives from communication studies and world languages, participants engage in activities that demonstrate how verbal and nonverbal behaviors influence understanding, collaboration, and social cohesion. In a nonverbal communication exercise, participants experience how different interaction rules affect perception and relationships, highlighting the role of language and behavior in forming connections. A brief mini-lecture links these experiences to theory, including discourse communities and communication accommodation, and practical situations in multilingual and multi-generational contexts. Participants then collaboratively design “bridge-building” strategies to overcome communication barriers, developing techniques adaptable to classrooms, workplaces, or community settings. Through reflection, discussion, and hands-on practice, the workshop equips attendees with tools to improve communication, strengthen relationships, and reimagine how communities interact across linguistic and social boundaries.
Presenters
Dena HorneSr. Lecturer, Communication Studies, Sam Houston State University, Texas, United States Frances E Brandau
Professor, Communication Studies, Sam Houston State University, Texas, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
Communications and Linguistic Studies
KEYWORDS
Communication, Language, Linguistics, Verbal Interaction, Nonverbal Interaction, Social Interactions, Human Representation, Bridge-Building, Community, Teaching Strategies, Multilingual Contexts
